Cafes in South Korea are experiencing a startling cultural trend called Cagongjok. This acronym describes the mostly young people who occupy these spaces to do schoolwork or professional activities. This trend has only accelerated in recent years, really taking off since 2010, as the growth of the franchised coffee chains led to their surge across the country. Coffee shops in cities like Washington, D.C., are now bristling with boisterous young academics. This trend is magnified in areas with strong transit-dependent ridership and strong office commuter concentration.
Cagongjok frequently commandeer café spaces. Their presence is a pointed counterexample to such practices in Western nations such as the UK. Most of these people are prospective employees. Many of the rest are students who are preparing for high stakes entrance exams such as the Suneung, South Korea’s college entrance exam. A recent survey by the recruitment platform Jinhaksa Catch revealed an interesting phenomenon. It discovered that more than 70% of more than 2,000 Gen Z job seekers in South Korea have studied in cafes weekly at the very least!
An 18-year-old student who has dropped out of school to devote himself entirely to studying for the Suneung is the perfect embodiment of this trend. She shared her routine, stating, “I get here around 11am and stay until 10pm.” Another student added, “Sometimes I leave my things and go eat nearby,” highlighting a common practice among Cagongjok of setting up their belongings and temporarily vacating their chosen space.
Professor Choi Ra-young of Ansan University blames the emergence of Cagongjok on South Korea’s cutthroat competition-based society. He doesn’t shy away from pointing out how the youth often come up against systemic failures. Finding public spaces to study or work is very difficult. “In a way, these young people are victims of a system that doesn’t provide enough public space for them to work or learn,” he stated.
Cafes are racing to catch up with this emerging trend. These owners have begun putting in place policies that better meet the needs of Cagongjok with the needs and desires of other patrons. One cafe owner, Hyun Sung-joo, said he was happy and sad at the same time. He noted, “It’s maybe two or three people out of a hundred” who monopolize power outlets and space. He told the story of a customer who created an enviable home office. This config included two laptops plus a six-port power strip, giving them the ability to charge all their devices all day long.
Hyun’s cafe continues to open its doors to Cagongjok, as long as they treat the common space with respect. He remarked, “Most people are considerate. Some even order another drink if they stay long, and I’m totally fine with that.” Many of the cafe owners are not feeling so lucky. Kim, another cafe owner based in Jeonju, introduced a “No Study Zone” policy after receiving repeated complaints about space being monopolized by Cagongjok.
Kim explained, “Two people would come in and take over space for 10. Sometimes they’d leave for meals and come back to study for seven or eight hours.” To address these concerns and prevent potential conflicts between customers, Kim implemented a maximum two-hour limit for those using the cafe to study or work. He noted, “I made the policy to prevent potential conflicts between customers.”
The reactions to these changes have varied. Some patrons support the measures taken by cafe owners like Kim to ensure that everyone has access to seating and amenities. Opponents contend that it confines the essential environments in which youth feel most at ease learning and developing their work ethic.
Starbucks has jumped into this debate by implementing bans on Cagongjok, sparking divided responses from their customers. Current students have loved seeing the attention given to creating a dynamic work-play balance. Some argue that this balance changes the experience for those who rely on these environments to ensure their academic success.
Cagongjok is shaking up the typical South Korean cafe culture. In return, Professor Choi passionately argues for developing employment, educational, and public spaces that serve as a welcoming environment for their success. He agrees that it’s very important to push back on this culture change. It’s a move that will ensure that our young people can foster their intellectual prowess in a productive learning environment while embracing the recreational…